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| Africa Subsaharan |
| US puts travel ban on Gbagbo's family, supporters |
| 2010-12-22 |
| (KUNA) -- The United States on Tuesday imposed travel restrictions on members of Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbos cabinet. "The citizens of Cote D'Ivoire expressed their will in elections on November 28, with results which were widely declared by credible international observers to be free and fair. Gbagbo's efforts to remain in power, despite the expressed will of the Ivoirian people for Alassane Ouattara to be president, threaten to compromise years of reconciliation and peace-building efforts on behalf of the Ivoirian people," State Department front man Philip Crowley said at press briefing. The travel ban affects members of Gbagbos regimes, as well as other individuals who support policies or actions that undermine the democratic process and reconciliation efforts in Cote DIvoire. Crowley said the ban affects at least a dozen individuals and is expected to affect more. "We've put into place a process, but as events unfold it will potentially involve a fairly significant number of people, not only the president himself, his immediate family, but also those who are his cabinet ministers, and those who are continuing to help him remain in power," Crowley told news hounds. The US move follows a similar step by the European Union as the international community seeks to ramp up pressure on Gbagbo to step down following a Nov. 28 election that the United Nations, aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society says he lost. |
| Posted by:Fred |